An idea strikes your mind. Since you get unlimited wishes, you decide to experience something you've always been curious about.
"I would like to experience turning into a donkey in the same way Lampwick did," you say.
"You wish to become a beast of burden?" Genie asks.
"Yeah but in a way that's from a movie," you say.
"Please remember that I have been out of touch for a century. I don't know what a movie is," Genie says.
"Well, it's more or less a bunch of pictures they put together and flip through them really fast to make it look like they're moving," you say. "Then they add sound and it can make it look like the drawings are talking. Here, I'll show you the scene in the movie."
The Genie follows as you pick out Pinocchio from your collection, put it into the VCR, play it and fast forward it to the scene in question.
After the famous (or perhaps infamous) scene of Lampwick changing, you pause the tape.
"That's what I wish to experience. I want to turn into a donkey like Lampwick," you say. "I still want to be able to speak afterwords though."
"A most unusual wish master, but if this is what you want then..."
Genie waves her arms and then moves as if she's throwing something. When she's done, a mug of beer appears before you.
"Since it was a mug of beer that caused it, it seemed logical to me to use a similar method," Genie says.
You nod and grab the mug. As you bring it to your mouth, you feel a slight tingle go down your spine. What you've wished from this Genie is something you've wanted to experience for years. It's also something you know that to wish for goes against all logic.
"Is something wrong master?" Genie asks.
"No, just thinking," you say.
With a gulp, you tilt the mug and drink the beer down. It tastes a lot better then you expected. You put the mug on a table and already you start to experience a slight buzz.
Then it begins. You feel a tingling in your ears. Sounds around you seem to get louder and your ears -- it's as if there's a lot more ear then there was before.
Your heart rate increases (as does your buzz!) as you run to a mirror. You gasp with excitement when you see you have large cartooney donkey ears in place of your human years.
It seems that Genie has taken your request to heart. That's okay though, being a cartoon donkey doesn't seem so...
You hear a loud rip and feel something escaping from the confinement of your jeans before it touches the cool ceramic floor.
Turning, you see that you have a nice long donkey tail! You grin as you pick it up and thread it between your fingers, you feel the tail touching your fingers, and you feel your fingers touching the tail. It's real. This is real.
This is really happening! In your dreams, it would always end around now or even if it continued, it was never all that clear.
Your face tingles then feels warm.
You look in the mirror to see that your face is now that of a cartoon donkey!
"This is so cool, it's happening for real," you say.
"Of course master, this is what you wished," Genie says.
You can't help but laugh. It's all so logical to her. A loud bray escapes your lips. You don't know where it comes from. At first it's hard to accept that such a sound came out of you.
Lampwick's response becomes your response with the Genie confirming that it was indeed you that brayed.
You feel your face, ears and face as though to confirm their existence. They're real, this is real!
After pacing back and forth for a few moments, your hands feel strange. If you were to describe it, it would be like something was pushing on them. You look at your hands and watch as they ball into fists and become hooves and your arms (and possibly the rest of your body) become hairy right before your eyes.
Somehow, having hooves in place of hands makes the gravity of your request hit home. Even though they may have most of the same parts, a donkey's body works a lot differently. You'll never be able to live your human life as a donkey!
You want to panic, to tell the Genie to stop this now before it's too late. However, you know she can reverse it at any point with a simple wish.
Now things go to the next level. You feel your body convulse several times as the magic changes you from a biped into a quadruped. Your short muzzle grows a little longer and your neck realigns. Any buzz you had vanishes and you have to admit that you're generally terrified.
You're on all fours before you know it.
Even when you're in control and wanted this, the idea that you're becoming a donkey is still pretty scary. To be turned into a donkey against your will and to be totally helpless in a situation however; you know that would be horrible.
While you can still speak (or you *better* be able to as you wished it), you feel an urge to bray. It's almost like being overcome with grief and being unable to stop crying but there's no grief here. Oh, there's panic, but the desire to bray is separate.
The mirror shows the reflection of a little donkey that while real, still has proportions like a cartoon character. To top if off, he's wearing your clothes.
"Are you pleased master?" The Genie asks. "If I may ask, how does this form feel?"
You look at the Genie. She seems more imposing now. There is one more thing you want her to do.
"It feels so weird and it's kinda scary," you say. "But I know you can change me back with a wish so it's not so bad. Man, this is so weird; I'm a talking donkey wearing clothes! "
"Of course Master, it is what you wished. Are you pleased with how you changed into this form? Would you perhaps like to stay this way for a while?"
"I..."
You think about it. While what would no doubt have become of the boys was horrible and inhumane on so many levels, you're still curious about experiencing what it was like to be a little donkey but living somewhere civilized.
"Genie..."
"I must caution you master, be weary of allowing your impulses to take control," Genie says. "Power in the right hands can be a source of pleasure as well as assistance for a lot of people. However, in wrong hands it can cause significant pain as well as condemn people. You no doubt wish to experience living as the creature you've become. Perhaps you wish me to remove your ability to speak or even alter your mind so you think and feel as a donkey. I caution you of giving into such curiosity."
You look at the Genie. Her warnings are true but you're so curious.
"Could you at least remove my clothes?" you ask. "I don't feel right with them on. In fact, I think..."
You buck and can't help but let a few brays out. Now you're understanding how Lampwick must have felt at that moment. Of course, he was not at home and he had no way to change back or even call for help! Everything he had done in life, all of his development, all taken away in almost an instant, replaced with a form and life that he obviously did not want.
"Master, please remain calm. Do you wish me to rip them off or to use my abilities to instantly disrobe you?"
You manage to calm down and look at the Genie.
"Better make them vanish," you say.
The Genie grins. "Is that a wish?"
You nod.
A wave of her hands and you feel a breeze as your clothes cease to exist. Panic threatens to grip you when you remember that Lampwick had nothing back there, or more so, to keep it kid safe, they couldn’t draw the donkeys anatomically correct. Relief hits you when the mirror shows you that your male hood is still intact. It looks strange but to you, male hood is still male hood.
"So, master, what do you wish to do now?"
"Can we go to a farm?" you ask.
"What do you wish to do there?" Genie asks.
"I dunno, just walk around and stuff as a donkey for a little while," you say. “It might also be fun to pull some stuff; you know do some work that requires these donkey muscles; get all sweaty and stuff.”
Genie shakes her head. “Human nature has indeed changed very little.”
“What do you mean?” you ask.
“I’ve been away for a century young man – donkey. I’m sure the slang , tools and machines have changed. But in the end, humans are still humans.”
You don’t like what she’s saying but it’s hard to argue when you’re currently a naked donkey having made the request you just did. It's odd that despite now having much more a sense of how scary it would be for those boys that you still can't help but get excited over living as an animal for a little while.
“Tell me something young man,” Genie says.
You look at her, glad that your eyes (unlike those of a natural member of your current species) are on the front of your head. It makes it easier to focus on her.
“When you saw that movie did you feel sorry for those children or did you envy them?”
Genie steps closer to you and gazes deep into your eyes.
“Did a part of you wish them to escape or did you enjoy seeing them degraded when that man or panicked actions ripped their clothing off and they lost the ability to speak?”
You gulp. Maybe you shouldn’t have revealed this little fantasy.
“Did it please you that they’d never see their families again?”
You gasp as beads of sweat form on your face.
“No, I…”
She grabs your muzzle and is right in your face.
“To go from a life as a child to a life as a beast of burden. Have you any idea how horrific and degrading that would be for them?”
“I’m sorry, I never thought about it. I just saw the initial parts and let my desire to let go take over. I never really thought that they'd go somewhere horrible,” you say.
She lets go on your muzzle and she stands up.
"What did you think, that they would play and have fun all day? If they desired to be donkeys then perhaps such a fate would seem like fun. However, they'd soon desire to be human again when they realized what they were giving up."
"I guess I never thought about being one for that long," you say. "I just imagined some moments of fun, and yeah, I guess getting dirty and sweaty and stuff. I know it's nasty, but..."
Genie cocks her head, smiled and pets you. "Perhaps I should not judge you too harshly. As I said, even with technology, human nature is still human nature. Such fantasies indulge in one's more basic desires. While it is hard to deny them at times, we must learn to do so."
"Yeah, you're right," you say.
“Do you still wish to go to a farm?” she asks.
“I just want to see what this body can do and to maybe let go for a while,” you say. “Maybe I could wish for these kids to get to be human again if they wanted?”
Genie crosses her arms.
“It’s just a movie; however, I might be able to recreate the environment for you; to give you a chance to perhaps make things right.”
You blink. “How is that possible? It’s not real. How can you make something not real exist?”
“It is difficult to explain.”
“All right, I’d like to try that then. Maybe we could make a sequel where those kids get help?” you ask.
“It is worth an effort,” she says. “Now, before you make this a wish, would you like me to create an identity for you in this world or would you prefer to take on the identity of one of the kids?”
“I know; I can be someone that went to that world by accident and got turned into a donkey. Maybe it was fate and all that!” you say.
Now you’re getting a bit excited! You can have the donkey experience but also help some kids to find redemption. Maybe you’ll even get to meet Lampwick!
“Very well,” she said. “If that is what you wish then I can make it possible.”
“It is what I wish.”
“Now, bear in mind that this will take some doing. You will lose the ability to speak,” she says. “However, I will play the role of a young girl that gets to know you over time and we make a connection. You’ll be able to speak when I’m there but it’ll take time before you can speak when others are around.”
“So, it’ll be like in cartoons where I can speak to the other donkeys but then cause we’re good friends you can understand me?” you ask.
“No, donkeys only bray. Together we will work for you to overcome the magic and regain the ability to speak,” she says.
“It sounds kinda scary,” you say.
“If you wish to stop here then just say,” she says.
“No, I want to give this a shot,” you say.
“Very well then,” she says. “So, this is a wish?”
You nod your head. She motions her arms and hands. Everything glows bright before the world around you fades away into pure light and energy. You don’t have time to consider where she’s taken you before you hear other donkeys braying. Then you smell the scents of a farm. Soon after everything comes into focus and you feel grass under your hooves.
You’re in a cartoon world but cartoon or not, your situation is clear.
Your mind goes a little fuzzy as new information enters it but thankfully doesn’t remove any of your memories.
As the sensation fades, you know what’s going on.
You’re a donkey. You’ve been here for at least a few months since changing at that place. You’re here as a work donkey but you’ve befriended a young girl named Clara.
When you try to speak, only brays come out.
Your mission has begun.